Well, the rumors are true. Google wants its Android operating system in your car, and the company is partnering with several carmakers and one chip maker to make it happen. Google, Audi, General Motors, Honda, Hyundai, and NVIDIA have joined forces to create the Open Automotive Alliance, a consortium that will work to get Google's Android platform into vehicles, according a press release from the group.

The first cars to feature Android will launch sometime in 2014. And according to the OAA website, the group has been in touch with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration to ensure the system will be safe to use.

The move is hardly a surprise. Our cars and phones are becoming increasingly integrated, and Google's Android, along with Apple's iOS, dominates the mobile landscape. Apple has already made moves to infiltrate the infotainment space with its Siri Eyes Free integration and iOS in the Car. And don't forget that Windows Embedded is behind several systems, most notably Ford's Sync.

"The expansion of the Android platform into automotive will allow our industry partners to more easily integrate mobile technology into cars and offer drivers a familiar, seamless experience so they can focus on the road," senior vice president of Android, Chrome & Apps at Google, Sundar Pichai, said in the statement.

So why is this such a big deal? One of the biggest problems with car infotainment systems is that they are all proprietary, meaning developers have to modify their apps for each carmaker they work with. This is costly and inconvenient. Sharing a common platform will alleviate this issue.